Pages

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Review: Blue Crush + Giveaway

Blue Crush by Jules Barnard

Blue Crush is the story of Gen and Lewis, who we meet and
see pretty frequently in the first book, Deep Blue. (Review HERE) Time does overlap in both
books, and we see what Gen was going through from her perspective, when in the
first book all we saw was how Cali interpreted what happened. I think it’s done
flawlessly and seamlessly, so that you don’t feel like you’re reading the same
book twice – and you’re not. Time may overlap, but it also keeps moving forward
to a place past where Cali and Jaeger’s story ended. It’s a very unique way to
pair the books and I really enjoyed reading it.

Gen’s story is much more intense than Cali’s in the sense
that Gen faces so, so, very much personal growth throughout the book. She
starts out this small, feeble, quiet bestie to Cali and through the story she
grows into this beautiful, strong, independent woman. Gen faces things that no
one should ever have to, and at first she lets these things break her. With the
helpful prodding of her friend Nessa, she decides to try something new. Something
outside of her comfort zone, and she becomes stronger through the process.

Sure, she gains physical strength, but for me, she grew so
much emotionally while preparing for this challenge (a tough mudder), and where
many people would give up – she found a way to keep going. That alone, is
inspirational. Add to the fact that she had to overcome sexual assault,
physical abuse, and mental abuse and you’ve just got one kick ass protagonist.

For me, Gen is everything that you want in a strong female
character (though she doesn’t necessarily start that way). Lewis is a rock that
she doesn’t even realize she needs – but later learns that if she had to, she
could do without – because he’s strong enough to be alone. She’s strong enough
to survive. This book is an excellent tale of heartache, bravery, and love.
Highly recommend! I can’t wait for the next book!!

Book Synopsis:

Genevieve Tierney moves to Lake Tahoe after college, determined to go it alone after being betrayed by her boyfriend. Working at a casino and avoiding cheating jerks seems like a good plan, until she meets the one guy tempting enough to drag her back down.

Lewis Sallee is six and a half feet of perfectly sculpted mountain man who threatens her play-it-safe approach and awakens a sex drive she never knew she had. Although Lewis is in a complicated relationship with one of the most beautiful women Gen has ever seen, she can’t seem to control her attraction to him.

To boost her confidence, Gen steps out of her comfort zone and signs up for the Alpine Mudder, a gritty endurance race. But as she prepares for the biggest physical challenge of her life, her emotional strength is pushed to its limits after she accepts Lewis’s help in training. He tests her willpower and has her fighting her body’s response to him—with her mind and heart not far behind

Jules Barnard is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Davis, whose college landscape often finds its way into her New Adult novels. She has a Master’s degree and spent many an hour running statistical analysis, until she realized her favorite part of the job was writing reports. She decided to cut out the math and add in some hot guys, and so began her career as a novelist.

Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.